Pollen Count Sets Record

Monday's pollen record didn't last long.

Before the sun even rose, the announced today's record-breaking pollen count: 9,369.

That's the number of pollen grains counted in a cubic meter of air at the clinic near in Marietta. (Marietta Patch offers some expert advice from a WellStar doctor on dealing with the onslaught.)

Tuesday's count is the highest total ever recorded for the Atlanta area, beating the 1-day-old record of 8,164 by almost 15 percent.

, dominated like today's by beech, birch, mulberry and oak tree pollen, broke the nearly 13-year-old record of 6,013 by almost 36 percent.

For the math-challenged, that means in two brutal, yellow-covered, record-hot days, we've exceeded the worst pollen ever measured around here by 55.8 percent.

For a little more context, the allergy clinic says a pollen count of 50 or more is high and 500 or more is extremely high. There's no term on the scale for 18 times extremely high.

In addition to the pollen—no doubt an effect of the arrival of spring—Georgia residents may also be dealing with the effects of another season: flu season. The Paulding County Health Department is offering flu shots through the month of March to combat this flu season, , health officials say.

Learn more about flu season and how to get a flu shot .